Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Apr 9: After the extended Congress Working Committee on Tuesday decided to go for a “massive organisational reshuffle,” the party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge left a stern message for the Congress leaders at the All India Congress Committee session in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, “perform or perish.”
Delivering the presidential address at the AICC session held on the banks of the Sabarmati river, Mr Kharge mince no words to sound a caution to the party leaders against any half-hearted effort. He was clear in saying that those party leaders who do not actively contribute to party work should “take rest,” and those failing in their responsibilities “must retire.”
Mr Kharge underscored the importance of organisational strengthening, particularly at the district level as was decided by the working committee on Tuesday and said the role of District Congress Committee presidents would be crucial in rebuilding the party structure and that their appointments would follow AICC guidelines strictly and impartially. “The role of district presidents is going to be important in the formation of the organisation. Therefore, their appointment has to be done strictly and impartially,” he said.
Mr Kharge added that newly appointed district presidents would be required to form booth, mandal, block, and district committees within a year by inducting capable individuals. He stressed that this process must be free of bias.
Highlighting efforts to engage grassroots leadership, Mr Kharge said, “We called three meetings of district presidents from across the country. Rahul ji and I spoke to them and took their feedback. Going forward, we will involve them in the candidate selection process for elections.” Taking a firm stand on accountability within the party, Kharge declared, “Those who do not help in party work need to rest. Those who do not fulfil their responsibilities must retire.”
He invoked the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, asserting that the Congress continues to walk on the path shown by them. “From the banks of the Sabarmati, we are going to take the message of determination, struggle and dedication to walk on the path of justice,” Kharge said. Quoting Patel, he added, “Numbers are useless without organisation… threads of yarn remain separate, but when gathered together, they become cloth — strong, beautiful and useful.”
Accusing the BJP government at the Centre of promoting communalism and injustice, Mr Kharge said the Congress was once again engaged in a battle for India’s independence — this time against injustice, inequality, poverty and communalism. “Earlier, foreign rulers promoted these ills; today, our own government is doing so,” he said. “But we will win this battle too,” he said.
The former president and currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said the Congress when come to power would demolish the wall restricting reservation to 50 per cent for the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Schedule Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) while pushing for a caste census across the country.
“In Telangana, 90 per cent of the population consists of OBCs, extremely backward classes, Dalits, extremely marginalised Dalits, minorities, and Adivasis. But if you look at Telangana’s corporate sector, check the list of owners, CEOs, and senior management, you won’t find a single person from this 90 percent population segment,” he added.
“There is almost no participation of this 90 per cent in Telangana’s corporate sector…I am happy that immediately after the caste census, our Chief Minister and our team in Telangana increased the OBC reservation to 42 per cent,” Gandhi said.
Pointing out that he demanded the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to agree to caste census, Mr Gandhi said he wanted to know who had what share in this country and whether this country “truly respected the tribal, Dalit, and backward communities.”
He said Mr Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP’s ideological mentor refused the caste census because they don’t want to reveal the share that minorities get in this country. He also said the new Waqf amendment act was an “attack on freedom of religion and is anti-Constitution.” He also alleged that the BJP and RSS have set their sights now on the rights of Christians, and Sikhs would be next.
